An electric vehicle (EV) uses an electric motor for propulsion. Energy required to power the propulsion motor is stored in a battery system located in the vehicle. In many EV applications, lithium ion battery cells are used in their battery systems. It is known that defects in lithium ion battery cells may lead to an unexpected increase in cell temperature. In some cases, the increase in cell temperature may lead to an undesirable thermal event (such as, for e.g., thermal runaway) in the battery system. Embodiments of the current disclosure provide systems and methods to reduce the occurrence or severity of such thermal events. The scope of the current disclosure, however, is defined by the attached claims, and not by the ability to solve any specific problem.